Summary
Alone in the Darkis one of those franchises that started so well but has since fallen from grace. The firstAlone in the Darkvideo game was a true revelation in the gaming scene, as it was the first game to fully realize survival horror within a functioning 3D environment. At the time of release, it blew gamers' socks off.
However, since the first game was released, the franchise has struggled to find a consistent level of critical praise, with each entry varying dramatically in terms of quality. It’s a shame because theAlone in the Darkfranchise clearly has so much unused potential. While this may soon change with the upcoming reimagining of the first title, let’s look at the other entries in the series and determine which one is the best.
Updated on April 18th, 2024, by George Smith:As it happens, the enormous potential behind this iconic franchise was indeed resurrected with 2024’s reimagining of the first title, which has returned the franchise to its original roots. Now introducing Stranger Things' David Harbour as Edward Carnby, fans have been treated to a marvelous remake that seamlessly transitions the franchise into a modern direction whilst maintaining a faithful representation of the original. Although not a critical masterpiece by any means, this newer entry has been a hit with fans and secured its place as a true part of the franchise. From original masterpieces, to some far-from-stellar attempted reboots, the Alone in the Dark franchise has gone through a lot of changes over the years, both for better and for worse.
Alone in the Dark: Illuminationis possibly one of the worst games ever made. How does a franchise so innovative and influential gofrom critical acclaim to this? Fans of the franchise, understandably, pretend that this entry doesn’t exist, and that’s for good reason.Alone in the Dark: Illuminationshould not be part of theAlone in the Darkfranchise as it serves little to no purpose in expanding the universe and only taints its reputation.
It’s online-only, which often results in a bad reputation when making a spin-off of a single-player series. Any emphasis on horror and survival is completely gone. It looks awful, it plays terribly, and it will leave a bad taste in the mouth of any player who has ever touched it. This is one to avoid.
This version ofAlone in the Darkis a semi-remake of the original despite having just a few connections to the first title. It’s not a bad game; it’s just nothing special, and most fans would probably agree that it fails to do justice to the original release.Alone in the Dark (2008)features some cool environments, and creates a decent atmosphere, but it’s just not all that scary.
The gameplay is a little clunky, although the graphics were relatively impressive upon release. Players can definitely have fun playing this title, and it’s far better thanIllumination,but that’s not saying much. It features some cool mechanics and indeed had a lot of potential, with some innovative mechanics likeusing any objectas a melee weapon,but the overall experience is nothing more than average at best.
The fact that this game is better than the two most recent entries in the franchise speaks wonders.Jack in the Darkis a small,standalone expansion to the first title, mostly used as a way to promote the upcomingAlone in the Dark 2.Jack in the Darkwas released around the holidays in 1993, and although it’s a short title, it’s surprisingly fun and innovative.
Players take control of Grace Saunders, a young girl who enters a toy store and gets locked inside. It’s not scary, but more heartwarming, and its atmosphere nails that Christmas vibe. Instead of a horror game, this is essentially an adventure game where Grace has to rescue some sentient toys and rescue Santa Claus from an evil jack-in-the-box character.
All three of the originalAlone in the Darkgames are pretty good, but they surprisingly vary in terms of genre and gameplay.Alone in the Dark 2, for example, ismuch more action-orientedthan its predecessor, and that’s usually considered a negative change in the survival-horror gaming world.
It’s certainly not a bad game by any means, but with a more action-focused approach, gamers would expect the gunplay to be good, and in this case, it’s simply not.Alone in the Dark 2feels clunky, and the gunplay and general combat are the worst parts of it. However, there are still lots of good elements to take away from the title. The story is decent, the visuals were great for its time (and still hold up ok today due to some nice background artwork), and it’s an overall fun experience, even if it is less scary.
Released in 1995,Alone in the Dark 3sees Edward Carnby return for the third go-round as he investigates the disappearance of a film crew in a small town. This game absolutely nails the atmosphere, and it returns to a much more horror-focused route. It’s endlessly fun exploring the town of Slaughter Gulch.
This is a wild-west setting, hence the Gulch name, and Edward will find himself searching abandoned saloons and traversing rooftops as he searches for the crew. There are trigger-happy sharpshooters, bloodthirsty ghouls, andhaunted zombiesto fight or avoid, and it has one of the most memorable settings in the franchise.
Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmareis a remake of the original game and takes some majorinspiration from the firstResident Evil. This is definitely the scariest entry in the franchise, and it fully leans into its survival horror element. It’s the original game with better gameplay mechanics and updated graphics, and it’s often considered the best way to experience the original title.
The mansion seems even more spooky with these updated visuals and players will often feel like they are being watched as they traverse the empty hallways. The lighting featured in the game is excellent, and it’s genuinely an all-around solid survival horror experience that every fan of the genre should play.
2024 resurrected the fading IP with the launch of yet another remake ofAlone in the Dark, however this time things are slightly different. This reimagining successfully formed its own identity whilst paying tribute to what made the original game so great - a feat rarely achieved with remakes. It might not be anything massively innovative, but fans were delighted to see the return of their favorite survival horror franchise in good form once again.
Starring David Harbour as Edward Carnby, this remake follows the same plot as the original but adds its own unique spin on things. Whilst slightly divisive among critics, it’s fair to say that players had a blast with this one. Including an enticing narrative, fantastic voice acting, and some genuinely eerie moments,Alone in the Dark (2024)is a triumph for fans of the franchise and a fantastic return to form for the title that started it all.
This is the game that started it all. WithoutAlone in the Dark,there would be noResident EvilorSilent HIllas we know them today, and the survival horror genre might look drastically different. This is a game that placed a 3D, fully-controllable character in pre-rendered background environments for the first time and represented an innovative step forward in 3D gaming. Players should just be warned to avoid the version with someawful voice acting!
Featuring an array of puzzles, fighting, and running, as well as some questionable platforming towards the end,Alone in the Darkwas as ambitious as it was successful. The story was excellent, following the tale of Edward Carnby’s exploration of a haunted mansion that gradually grows stranger and stranger as the game progresses. The originalAlone in the Darkis heavily inspired by the works of H.P. Lovecraft, and his influence is ever-present throughout the game’s visuals and writing. It’s an excellent video game even if the controls can be a little frustrating at times. This is the grandfather of the survival horror genre, and it should not be overlooked.
